seymour



L/ r j r I W Patented April 7, 1857.

E; L. SEYMOUR.

Ore Separator.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW. L. SEYMOUR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GOLD -SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No..16,999, dated April 7, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, EDWARD L. SEYMOUR, of the city, count-y, and State of New York, have invented certain valuable Improve ments on the Sectional Gold-Separator, for which Letters Patent of the United States were issued to my assignee, Daniel B. Brown, on September 19, 185 1; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my improved sectional gold-separator, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

My improved sectional gold separator consists of three distinct parts, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure A, gives a. perspective view of the whole apparatus, as applied to an airor water-pump.

The three distinct parts, above named, are as follows:

The first and principal part is the vessel or receptacle proper, for the ores to be treated; which is that portion of the apparatus, inclosed within the brace, a; the same consists of several sections or frames, placed perpendicularly one over the other, (as claimed in the specification at tached to the Letters Patent, No. 11,712, is sued to Daniel B. Brown on the 19th day of September, 1854,) of any optional form; (the cylindrical being, as I imagine, the cheapest and most convenient;) made/of iron or any suitable material. In my improved apparatus, these frames, viz., the sieve frame; the metal frame; (of which there may be two, three, or even more, if required, and of any desirable depth or capacity,) and the scraping frame are to be divided into four, six, eight or any other even number of vertical divisions, openings or compartments, (which even number must not however include the central or pivot hole, the size of which is optional, and which can be even entirely dispensed with) of a cylindrical or any other convenient form, provided the divisions or compartments of one frame (or section) correspond with those of the other frames; and they must be so arranged, as to be capable of revolving, each, around its center; being kept in their respective places by means of a pivot (marked ;op, p in the drawings or by any other convenient arrangement. The scraping frame (viz. the scraping section or compartment of my former specification, to which I have above referred) should be deep enough to contain. any quantity of ore to be treated at a time; but, as it would be too heavy, if made of one solid piece of metal, I propose to make the top and bottom of the scraping section, as shown in the drawings, of solid metal frames; connected together by means of chambers, (called ore-chambers), tubular, or otherwise, made of tin, wood or any other light material; and, if necessary, strengthened by a jacket, a ring or rings, or otherwise; corresponding however, in number, with the aforesaid even number of vertical divisions, openings, or compartments of the frames. In every alternate opening, compartment, or division of the sieve frame is fitted a sieve of wire or other suitable material intended to support the ore, and to allow the passage of the air during the operation; the other divisions or compartments being left open, for discharging the refuse.

The second part of my improved sectional gold separator is comprised within the brace 22 of the drawings; and consists of alternate passages for conducting the air or water through the sieves above them, and for discharging the tailings or refuse. These passages whether they be connected by means of a frame or frames (correspondently divided with the frames of the first part above described) and attached to an air or water pump (or any other equivalent contrivance) in the manner shown in the drawings, or in any other suitable manner, must be so contructed that the air or water which during the process to be hereafter described, has to be forced through the sieves of the sieve frame aforenamed, may not communicate during its course through the passages conducting the air or water with the passages which are intended for discharging the refuse; the refuse may be discharged through the bottom of the machine (as shown in the drawings) or through a central passage, or laterally, by means'of inclined planes.

The third part of my improved apparatus, inclosed within the brace c of the drawings is the feeding part. It consists of the top frame to which hopper h h is attached; the feeding frame which supplies and regulates the ore; and the bottom frame. The top frame and the feeding frame have openings, viz., vertical divisions, openings or compartments, correspondlng, 1n number (and, even 7 1n form, though not necessarily so) with the vertical divisions, or openings of the scraptop frame the bottom frame and the sieve frame are stationary (the sieve frame, however, not necessarily so), and

they can be connected, together, as also with the second part'of the apparatus above described, by means of rods 1" 1", as shown in the drawings, or in any other suitable manner; the other frames have to be so arranged as to be able to revolve, either partly or entirely, around their centers; they have to be worked'or shifted (during the process) by means of the levers Z and Z Z or 'by any other suitable contrivance answering the same purpose. The vertical divisions or openings of the'frames with their corresponding ore chambers and passages (for conducting the air or water, and for discharging the refuse) are respectively and correspondentl y marked: 1, 2, 3, 4, '5, and 6. In the divisions or openings 2, 4 and 6, of the top, frames which correspond with'the sieves of the sieve frame are inserted tubes, madeof tin (or any other light material) called air fiues (and of any convenient length) These are made to terminate in a common 'flue or chimney marked 0a,- while in'the corresponding passages (for conducting the air or water to the sieves) 2, 4, and 6, valves are fitted for admitting the air or water in its upward passage through the sieves. These valves can be-adapted elsewhere for the same purpose, or can even be entirely dispensed with, in treating, for instance, very fine ores a layer of which, on each of the sieves aforesaid, would act in a great measure, as so many valves, stopping the air or water from passing downward (through the'sieves) while 1 to securevby Letters Patent is.' The improved apparatus is to be worked I the piston of the pump is traveling upward.

all that ore which is contained within the compartments, 1, 3, .and 5 of the feeding frame will be scraped down upon the sieves fitted into the openings or divisions 2, 4 and 6, of the sieve frame. By alternately raising and depressing the piston of the pump (or by any other equivalent contrivance) water or air is made vertically to project that ore which now rests on the aforesaid sieves, and fills out the three corresponding compartments of both the metal frame and the scraping frame, so that after a few strokes of the piston, the atoms or particles of that ore may arrange themselves, according to their specific gravity, viz., the heaviest going to the bottom, and the lightest to the top; after whichthe lever Z Z of the scraping frame has also to be shifted from 3 to 4 for the purpose of scraping the refuse matter, (tailings), contained within its partitions 2, 4 and 6, into refuse passages l, 3, and 5. By shifting the lever Z of the feeding frame back to its original position, another charge of ore will be thrown down upon the aforenamed sieves; when, after having been projected several times in' the manner before described, the same has to be scraped down and discharged'by shifting the lever Z Z of the scraping frame to its original position; andso on. The above operations have to be repeated continually until the three compartments 2, 4, and 6, of the metal frame are nearly filled with the concentrated metal, ore or mineral which, in its turn, has to be scraped 0's and discharged in the man ner already stated, viz., by the shifting of the lever Z Z of the scraping frame in the manner above described; not, however, without first taking thepin 7:,-out of the connecting pieces, in which it is seen in the drawings, and inserting the same within the connecting pieces opposite the compartment 4. Finally, by openlng' the doors of the ore .chambers the metal or ore which still re- "mains on the sieves (which should always be placed a little below the level of the sieve frame, to prevent wear) can be swept together and scoopedout; or the same can be removed in any other-suitable manner. v What I clalm as my lnventlon, and desire The use of the sections or frames, as described, when perforated or constructed so as to open or shut the communicationbetween the upright tubes or compartments for the passage of materials containing gold or other substances, of airor of water, as may be required; the whole operating in connection with the hopper, as described.

' o L. SEYMOUR.

"Vitnesses: C. RAFT,

, HIRAM KETCHUM, Jr. 

